Engineering UK 2017
Synopsis and recommendations
2 Synopsis
The state of engineering
Synopsis
Engineering: context and contributions
Engineering plays a vital role in the UK’s economic and societal wellbeing, providing
quality employment on a large scale and enabling the majority of our physical exports,
as well as developing and implementing some of the key solutions to major global
challenges. The UK engineering base has a world-leading position in a range of the
knowledge-intensive industrial sub-sectors responding to global challenges, as well
as in the scientific and technological research and innovation that underpin them.
Synopsis 3
The state of engineering
80%
of engineering
enterprises have four
or fewer employees
52%
of employees work
in an enterprise with
100 or more people
42%
of employees work
in an enterprise with
250 or more people
Economy
Analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research
(Cebr) suggests that the gross value added (GVA) for the
UK by the engineering sector, as defined by EngineeringUK’s
Footprint of engineering jobs and companies, was £433
billion in 2015.
This was more than some key comparable sectors of the
economy, including retail and wholesale, financial and insurance
combined. From this GVA figure, it is estimated that engineering
contributed £486 billion to UK GDP in 2015 – around 26% of
the total and representing 2.3% growth since 2014. Furthermore
every additional £1 of GVA created by engineering activity
creates an additional £1.45 of GVA through indirect effects on
the supply chain and more widely on household incomes and
employment: engineering activity has a multiplier effect of
2.45 on GVA. In terms of effects on employment, every additional
person employed in engineering, supports an additional 1.74
jobs: a multiplier effect of 2.74.
In 2015, the number of engineering enterprises in the UK grew
by 7% over the previous year, to 650,000. Relative growth was
fastest in London although experienced in every region and
largely keeping pace with the backdrop of overall growth
across the UK.
Small employers dominate numerically: 80% of registered
engineering enterprises have four or fewer employees.
However, the majority (52%) of employees in 2015 worked
for an enterprise which employed 100 or more people and
most of those (42%) worked for an enterprise with 250 or
more employees (9350 of which in the UK).
£486 billion
contributed by engineering
to UK GDP in 2015
7% rise (to 650,000)
in 2015 in the number of UK
engineering enterprises
1.74 jobs
supported by every person
employed in engineering
(a multiplier effect of 2.74)
4 Synopsis
The state of engineering
5.7 million
employees work in registered
engineering enterprises in the UK –
19%
of total UK employment
Employment
Context
Nearly 5.7 million employees work in engineering enterprises
in the UK, representing just over 19% of total UK employment
in all registered enterprises. As a proportion of total
employment, this has remained relatively consistent for
the last three years.
The engineering workforce is getting older, but not significantly
faster than in the UK economy overall. However, the proportion
of young workers (aged under 25, especially) has been
decreasing over the last ten years. While women make up
46% of the UK workforce as a whole, engineering continues
to be male-dominated: women make up only 1 in 8 of those
in engineering occupations and less than 1 in 10 of those
in an engineering role within an engineering company.
Manufacturing remains one of the UK’s largest economic
sectors, despite automation having reduced its
employment footprint.
It requires continued investment in innovation
to consolidate the development of advanced manufacturing
technology and concepts such as Industry 4.0. Some 2.7 million
people are directly employed in the UK’s manufacturing
industries, and it is responsible for around half of the UK’s
exports. Over two-thirds of UK business investment in research
and development is in manufacturing.
Productivity growth, which is a determinant of higher wages and
improved sustainable output and therefore key to improving real
wage growth, has been relatively weak in the UK since the
recession, and lower than that of comparator nations.
Technological innovation and investment in upskilling the labour
force are thought to be crucial to enhance levels of productivity in
engineering and manufacturing, and to respond to the re-shaping
of the economy which will favour those with high skills.
The government’s development of an industrial strategy is
welcomed by the engineering community. It would endorse the
view that a significant ‘horizontal’ element to such an industrial
strategy – underpinning investments to assure increasing levels
of skills, improved infrastructure, empowered science and
research, and embedded innovation is a necessary adjunct to a
strategic focus on key sectors or technologies. These feature in
the ten pillars of the government’s industrial strategy consultation
(green) paper. Such an industrial strategy will be key to delivering
an environment in which engineering can contribute effectively
to economic and social development, particularly in light of the
decision to leave the European Union, and should deliver a
powerful message that the UK is forward looking, open for
business, and an active and welcoming partner for the
international research, innovation and business communities.
Engineering workforce
Only 1 in 8
of those in engineering occupations are women
Synopsis 5
The state of engineering
Future forecast:
265,000
skilled entrants required
annually to meet demand
for engineering enterprises
through to 2024
Skills supply and demand
The broader international labour market landscape shows
an underlying trend towards what is recognised as the
‘hourglass economy’.
This predicts decreasing demand for ‘blue collar’ jobs
(intermediate skills) which are vulnerable to automation and
off-shoring. It also predicts increasing demand for lower skilled
jobs (especially driven in health and social care by an ageing
population) and for highly skilled jobs (technician and above)
requiring science, technology, engineering and maths based
competences. This is already being reflected in employers’
reports of skills shortages and the government’s shortage
occupation list for skilled immigrants. This situation is expected
to be exacerbated by the growth of new industries, some
of which scarcely yet exist, emerging from new technologies
and knowledge.
There is consistent evidence (including from the UK Commission
for Employment and Skills, the CBI and the IET) of skills
shortages for employers in key UK engineering sectors that
are expanding, especially construction and ICT, as well
as with manufacturing, despite its total size shrinking through
automation. Employers anticipate an increasing need for people
with higher level skills, and express decreasing confidence in their
ability to recruit these in sufficient numbers. Potential restrictions
on the free movement of labour, following the EU referendum
result, further highlight skills shortage issues.
Retention of employees is becoming a higher priority for
employers as the workforce becomes more highly trained and
skilled. For example, the EEF found that approximately half of
companies surveyed offer training plans and opportunities to
work across other areas of the business to increase retention.
The broader international
labour market shows
an underlying trend
towards what is
recognised as the
‘hourglass
economy’
Continued demand for high skill roles
eg managers and professionals
(but supply growing faster than demand)
Growth in higher middle skill jobs
(professional and technical)
eg designer, technician
Technology
Decline in traditional
middle jobs eg
clerical, blue collar
Continued demand for low skill roles
eg care, hospitality
Low pay, no pay
Globalisation
6 Synopsis
The state of engineering
20,000
annual shortfall of
engineering graduates
(conservative estimate)
Latest labour force projections contained in Working Futures
2014-2024 predict annual growth in total employment of 0.5%
for the UK. Projections for the engineering sector developed by
University of Warwick’s Institute for Employment Research from
a bespoke extension of Working Futures 2014-2024 forecasts
there will be demand in engineering enterprises for 265,000
skilled entrants annually through to 2024, of which around
186,000 will be needed in engineering occupations, to meet
both replacement and expansion demand.
The total size of employment for those with level 31 skills will
shrink, although significant replacement demand of around
57,000 entrants per year at this level will remain. At level 42 and
higher, the annual requirement for engineering occupations is
expected to be just over 101,000 annually. The demand will be
particularly acute in construction, but also strong across the
science and engineering, ICT and manufacturing sectors, and
especially in London and the South East of England, although
there will be net demand in all UK nations and regions.
EngineeringUK’s model for the supply of entrants into engineering
roles with level 4+ skills, through higher education and higherlevel apprenticeships, projects that there will be around 41,000
entrants of UK nationality annually. Our estimates of the supply
from EU and other international graduates, based on our historic
model, project the potential addition of up to a further 40,000
graduates, comprising a total of just over 81,000. This projection
of supply assumes that similar numbers of international students
will continue to study in the UK and continue to (be eligible to)
work in engineering in the UK. Based on these estimates and
assumptions, projected supply will fall short of demand by at
least 20,000 per year.
Although the implications of the UK’s intention to leave the EU
have not been modelled, it seems likely that this will affect both
sides of the supply/demand equation. In terms of supply, any
tightening of immigration policy or reduction to the perceived
attractiveness of studying and working in the UK, or eligibility
to do so, are likely to have detrimental impacts on the supply
of these key skills. If supply of entrants to engineering roles were
from UK nationals only at level 4+ we would fall far further below
the projected requirement. Work will take place over the next year
to refine the current model of supply and we aim to provide an
updated projection in the 2018 Report.
The supply of postgraduate-level skills in engineering and
computing is currently highly dependent on international
graduates studying in the UK, more so than any other major
higher education discipline, and this represents a particular
vulnerability.
1 For the purposes of this synopsis, we use the term level 3 to indicate academic and vocational qualifications or courses typically taken during upper secondary education (post 16) across England, Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This includes but is not limited to A levels, Advanced Apprenticeships and equates to the same level in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework containing Highers.
2 For the purposes of this synopsis, we use the term level 4+ as shorthand to include those academic and vocational qualifications that are typically taken after secondary education across England, Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales and recognise progression into and through specialist, professional and higher education. This includes but is not limited to Higher National Certificates, Higher Apprenticeships, higher
national diplomas, degree apprenticeships, degrees at all levels
The state of engineering
Synopsis 7
Increase in GSCE entries 2015-2016
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
+3.6%
+5.6%
+4.6%
Educational context
Demographic trends
The UK population is set to grow from its current 66 million by
around 3% in the next five years and by 11% in the next twenty,
potentially reaching 73 million by 2037. Population growth has
recently been, and is expected to continue to be, focused in
London and South East England, with weaker growth in northern
England, Wales and Scotland. Within the working population,
11% are not of UK nationality, and in the year to 2015, the nonUK workforce grew by 7.5% (compared with 1.5% growth in the
UK workforce). This is largely attributable to immigration from
European Union countries.
The number of secondary school-aged children in the UK is now
rising and will continue to do so by around 10% over the next five
years. This provides an expanding school cohort who can be
encouraged to study the subjects that could enable them to
pursue engineering careers. Similarly we are reaching the end
of a period of decline in the number of young people aged 16-18;
this will bottom out in 2018 and then begin to rise quite quickly.
Secondary level education
The number of schools is rising in response to these shifts in
population, with some 3.8 million children currently educated in
state-maintained secondary schools. While there has been a rise
in the number of primary school teachers, this
is not the case in the secondary sector.
The secondary education landscape continues to be complex,
with policy-driven changes to structures (especially in England)
and qualifications (across the UK nations). Generally,
educational outcomes are improving overall, although the picture
in terms of this supporting social mobility is very mixed: young
people in London and its commuter belt are more likely to obtain
good educational outcomes and have better career opportunities
than those in the rest of the UK.
Following a period of decline during which the number of 16 yearolds was also falling, there has been a recent upturn in entries
to individual science (physics, chemistry, biology) GCSE
examinations. While entrants to design & technology and ICT
are falling fast, there has been a rise in the numbers studying
computing at GCSE level.
The overall GCSE pass rate fell back by 2 percentage points
in 2016, thought to be partly due to recent changes in the
English educational system relating to school performance
measurement. Pass rates in single science subjects continue
to be much higher (over 90%), than in combined science
examinations (57%), reflecting the different types of schools
and pupils taking these subjects. In 2016, there were fewer than
145,000 entries for each of the single science subjects, less
than half the number for combined science (408,000 entries).
There have been rises in the number of entries to science and
mathematics at A-level, and proportionally greater rises in
computing and further mathematics albeit from smaller numbers.
The rate of increase is slightly greater amongst females than
males, but female students remain in the minority in computing
(9.8% of entries), physics (21.6%) and further mathematics
(27.5%) especially. There has been a slight dip in the numbers
passing A-levels in science subjects but this is mostly due to a
decreasing cohort size.
Results trends in Wales and Northern Ireland are broadly similar
to those in England, while in Scotland trends will become clearer
once the new Scottish National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher
qualifications are fully bedded in.
The number of BTEC and similar vocational qualifications taken
in addition to or instead of A-levels has risen fast in recent years,
and has powered much of the increase in university entry by
those from less advantaged backgrounds. The number of young
people studying engineering and ICT (at level 3) have risen to the
point where they are now similar to the number taking A-levels
such as physics or computing.
While the number of GCSE entrants in sciences has grown over
the last five years, the number of teachers teaching them has
shrunk. A growing proportion of those teaching science subjects
either have a degree in the subject or have had specific training
in teaching the discipline. However secondary-level teacher
shortages continue across the four nations, especially in physics,
further mathematics and computing with these shortages felt
most strongly in schools teaching combined sciences. Teaching
computing as a subject has been recognised as a particular
problem and the government is proposing to add it to the
‘shortage occupation list’ along with mathematics, chemistry
and physics teachers, enabling easier immigration of such
professionals to the UK
8 Synopsis
The state of engineering
108,000
engineering apprenticeship
starts (England) in 2014/15,
the highest for ten years
Apprenticeships and Further Education
The current emphasis of education and skills policy is on
apprenticeships rather than further education (FE), resulting
in a sense of the FE sector being at something of a crossroads.
The government is currently looking at ‘technical education’
and is working to restructure and simplify what has become
overly complex in terms of its competing qualifications
frameworks and pathways.
Meanwhile the number of vocational qualifications obtained
in FE colleges is falling, reflected in a fall in the total number
of colleges following mergers and closures. In spite of this, the
number of engineering-related vocational qualifications obtained
is actually rising, especially at the higher levels that are desirable
in pathways towards a higher skilled technical labour force.
The government has loudly stated ambitions
for growth in apprenticeship numbers, seeking three million
starts during this parliament. Closer examination shows that
there was a 15% growth in total starts in England in the year
to 2014/15, with 108,000 in engineering sectors, the highest
for ten years. Engineering-related apprenticeships are most
prevalent in the North West, West Midlands and South East
England, but not in London.
In 2014/15, 58,000 such apprenticeships were achieved in
England, 42% of them at Level 3 or above. There was growth
too in Scotland and Wales, but in Northern Ireland changes to
funding entitlements for older workers have reduced the total
numbers. Growth in engineering-related frameworks and ICT
is proportionally strongest in Higher Apprenticeships, and the
profile is shifting towards higher levels, more than is the case
for many other sectors where Level 2 numbers continue to
dominate. The age of starters is also decreasing for engineering,
with 41% of starters aged under 19, in contrast to the overall
apprenticeship picture where around half are over 25 years
of age. On the other hand very few (7%) engineering-related
apprentices are female, and in some frameworks only 3%.
A quarter of a million workplaces now offer apprenticeships,
a rise of nearly 5% in a year and 50% over five years. 4 out of 5
manufacturing employers are reported to be planning to recruit
manufacturing and engineering apprentices in the next year.
There are trends both for apprentice recruits to be younger
and also for the balance of apprenticeship recruitment to
be shifting towards higher levels, both of which are welcome
trends, at which engineering is at the forefront. Productivity
gains are highest from young apprentices.
Degree Apprenticeships are under a great deal of scrutiny and
the first schemes have launched including in manufacturing
and engineering sectors. As a means for a student to obtain
a university degree without paying tuition fees and while earning
a salary as an employee, they offer great promise as an
alternative to traditional campus-based higher education.
The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017 may well
catalyse the scale of their development, and engineering would
do well to embrace them.
Apprenticeships starters
aged under 19
41%
Engineering
apprenticeships
28%
All
apprenticeships
Synopsis 9
The state of engineering
5%
growth in applicants
to HE engineering
courses in 2015/16
3%
growth in applicants
to all HE course areas
in 2015/16
Higher education
UK higher education (HE) has been booming in recent years
with strong growth in first degree and postgraduate education,
although this is counterbalanced by reduced numbers on some
other undergraduate programmes and part-time study. Record
levels of young people are entering HE for full-time study in
England and Wales especially, but the number of people studying
part-time has fallen sharply in recent years, reducing the extent
to which this route is upskilling employed adults.
Trends showed nearly 5% growth in the number of applicants
to engineering courses over the past year, greater than the
2.7% experienced across all subjects, with gains in all its
sub-disciplines except electrical and electronic. Growth was
marginally stronger amongst female applicants, although they
remain the minority across engineering, albeit with higher
proportions (over 25%) in general engineering and the growing
area of chemical, process and energy engineering.
The majority (71%) of those entering a first degree in engineering
and technology in 2014/15 were of UK origin, 6% from other
EU countries and 23% from other nations. The proportions of
international students within engineering and computer science
are higher than for other STEM subjects. UK students with an
ethnic minority origin are slightly over-represented in engineering,
but females strongly under-represented at around 15% on
average. Participation in other forms of undergraduate study
such as HND and HNC programmes are falling, in parallel with
the decrease in part-time HE participation.
At postgraduate level the picture is quite different, with only 25%
of taught postgraduates in engineering being of UK origin, 15%
from EU nations and 60% outside the EU. For some engineering
sub-disciplines the proportion of international (non UK/EU)
students has hit 80%. A quarter of all taught postgraduate
students are female, reflecting a relatively greater tendency for
female engineering graduates to pursue postgraduate study rather
than enter engineering employment following their first degree.
In total, 9% more first degrees in engineering and technology were
obtained in 2014/15 than the previous year. The strongest growth
was in mechanical and aerospace engineering, while the numbers
obtaining civil and also electrical and electronic engineering first
degrees fell back. At Masters level, there was 15% growth, with
three-quarters of standalone M-level engineering degrees obtained
by non-UK graduates, and 86% of those in electrical and electronic
engineering. Around 3000 doctorates were obtained, the majority
(60%) by international students.
The strongly international composition of HE study in engineering
(and computer science) stands out from other subjects,
and poses some vulnerability both to any changes in future
immigration policy with regard to international study or eligibility
for post-study employment, and to perceptions of the UK by
prospective international students. Postgraduate provision
would in many cases not be viable without the participation
of international students, who in turn become a high proportion
of the HE research and teaching workforce in these strategically
important subjects.
The decrease in part-time study is concerning as a potential
route to upskill existing employees or those not in a position
to undertake full-time degree study. Degree Apprenticeships
represent an opportunity to offset this. Maintaining and ideally
increasing the flow of graduates in engineering from HE is critical
to the future skills supply pipeline for the sector. To do so seems
likely to require continuation of the current participation of
international students as well as increasing the UK student
cohort. Better diversity of that cohort, in terms of gender but
also a wider range of modes of study (including part-time
models) would be of benefit.
10 Synopsis
The state of engineering
68%
of UK first degree
engineering graduates
are in full-time work
six months after
graduation (2014/15)
84%
>
Transition to employment
Graduate outcomes
Graduate employment rates rose post-recession and graduates
as a whole have continued to enjoy higher employment rates
and earnings than those without a degree, despite the strong
expansion in graduate numbers.
A higher proportion of UK first degree engineering and technology
graduates (68%) are in full-time employment six months after
graduation than of graduates overall (58%), although fewer enter
part-time work or postgraduate study. This proportion has risen
over the last five years, tracking the improvement in the economy,
post-recession. Three years after graduation, 84% are in full-time
work and only 2% unemployed. Outcomes for those studying
taught postgraduate engineering courses are more positive still,
with three quarters in full-time employment soon after graduation.
Amongst UK engineering graduates who studied a first degree
full-time, the proportions of men and women who enter full-time
work six months after graduation are similar. A higher proportion
of females enter postgraduate study than males.
There is a larger variance with ethnicity in the employment
outcomes of engineering graduates than amongst graduates
overall. 71% of white engineering graduates are in full-time
work within six months of graduation but only 51% of their
counterparts of ethnic minority origin (compared to 59%
and 53% for graduates from all subjects). Unemployment
is also more than twice as high amongst the latter.
Of those UK and EU engineering graduates who enter
employment after graduating from a UK full-time first degree,
over 70% work in an engineering occupation; the proportion
amongst those who study part-time is significantly higher still.
The proportion of engineering graduates entering sectors such
as financial services or management consultancy is tiny in
comparison with the proportions entering work in engineering
in occupations such as mechanical, civil or design engineers.
Three years after
graduation, 84% are
in full-time work and
only 2% unemployed
(2013/14)
Graduates of other subjects also contribute significantly to
the engineering workforce; roughly 1 in 8 of all employed firstdegree graduates works in an engineering occupation six months
after graduation – around 8,000 engineering graduates and
17,000 others.
Strategies to increase the employability of graduates are now
embedded across HE providers, but there are some concerns
(reported in the Wakeham review and elsewhere) that although
STEM graduates are in high demand, not all have a sufficiently
rounded set of both technical and transferable skills, at the
right levels, to satisfy the demands of current employers.
Work experience has become an essential asset for graduates.
Graduates of other subjects
1 in 8
of all employed first-degree graduates work
in an engineering occupation six months
after graduation.
Synopsis 11
The state of engineering
Graduates
Professionals
£26,000
£22,000
Engineering All
Earnings
Engineering graduate starting salaries are well above the allsubject average (£22,000) at just over £26,000 in 2014/15,
and nearly £27,000 for those entering an engineering
occupation. Postgraduate study adds a further premium.
Across all engineering disciplines, there is no gender pay gap
in the mean starting salaries earned by graduates, although it
does emerge in some sub-disciplines, and there is evidence for a
small ethnicity pay gap for engineering graduates. There are also
significant variances based on the type of university attended,
more so for engineering than other subjects.
The mean salary, in 2015, for all those in full-time STEM
occupation employment was £33,689, only 0.5% higher than
the previous year, but the more representative median (£27,645)
was up 1.6%. Amongst these occupations, mean earnings for
some mainstream engineering roles look strong and are enjoying
bigger rises – such as civil engineers at over £42,500 (up 5%)
and mechanical engineers (over £45,000, up 3.6%) while
electrical engineers had similar earnings but which declined
last year. These are similar to, or higher than, the average
for chartered and certified accountants.
At technician and skilled crafts levels, median salaries for many
engineering-related roles are good and rising. Although they do
not match earnings in the financial/business services sectors,
many are considerably better than for some of the skilled roles
in sectors such as the food and drink or textiles industries.
£45,000
£34,000
Engineering All
There are strong regional variations in earnings for those in
engineering occupations, in line with overall trends. Those
in London earn the most but mean engineering salaries are
growing in all the home nations and English regions. However,
these regional trends can be outweighed by more specific
occupational variances regionally – in 2015, mean earnings
for several engineering roles were higher outside London,
reflecting local complexities of the labour market and in
places key skills shortages.
12 Synopsis
The state of engineering
51%
2016
Increasing rates
of 11-16 year olds
would consider a career
in engineering
Increasing the flow
Perceptions of engineering as a career choice
Young people’s perceptions of engineering have grown more
positive in the last five years. The proportion of 11-16 year olds
who would consider a career in engineering has risen from 40%
in 2012 to 51% in 2016. This upward trend is somewhat more
pronounced among those aged 11-14 than 15-16, and is rising
faster still amongst those of sixth form age (17-19).
The picture amongst those who influence young people,
educators, is also positive – the vast majority of teachers (96%)
would recommend a career in engineering to their pupils, and
three quarters of parents view engineering positively as a career.
However, while parents are equally likely to recommend a
vocational route into engineering as an academic one, pupils
and teachers are more likely to favour academic routes into
engineering.
A further concern is that teachers seem to have greater
confidence in their pupils’ knowledge of engineering than the
pupils do themselves. In 2016 45% of STEM educators believed
their pupils know what people in engineering do, but fewer than
one third of young people claim to do so. Engineering is the area
of work relating to STEM that they know the least about.
There is evidence that more positive attitudes towards STEM
careers are having impact on subject choices in school;
nonetheless, too few young people are deciding to continue
to study the subjects that keep the doors open to engineering
careers, limiting the number who ultimately will be able to enter
highly-skilled engineering careers. Analysis of findings from largescale studies suggests that higher priority should be given to
addressing misconceptions about where STEM study can lead
and highlighting its relevance to young people’s current life
and future direction. Interventions that focus too narrowly
on improving enjoyment of STEM, it is suggested, often lack
long-term impact on pupils’ subject choices.
Effective careers education and interventions during school are
vital to develop more informed careers thinking, and there is
increasing agreement on how to deliver it well. Good careers
support engages a wider variety of young people (including more
from disadvantaged groups) to think more about their subject
and career choices, not just those with the most social capital.
However, careers advice and guidance in state schools remains
patchy at best and highly under-resourced; indications are the
majority of pupils currently do not have access to substantive
careers guidance.
There is a necessary and growing focus on the quality and impact
of interventions for young people, especially in schools. There are
myriad offers and opportunities to schools of activities relating to
STEM and related careers, which schools struggle to differentiate.
STEM-related learning and communication activities need to be
better co-ordinated and evaluated, so that schools can work out
which are best to use and when and so that the activities achieve
greater reach and long-term impact on young people.
Effective employer engagement
The shift away from professional careers support in schools
in favour of employer engagement continues, based on the
potential value of people from local business supporting
career and employability development work in schools. There
is emerging evidence (from the Education and Employers
Taskforce) that effective interactions between young people
and those in the world of work through structured employer
engagement has an important role in helping young people
make good decisions, and that participation in such activity
(particularly in Key Stage 3) can have a discernible impact
on their earnings in adult life. There is some divergence in the
evidence of just how many employers are engaging with young
people in education, through provision of school visits, careers
talks and offers of work experience opportunities. However,
the available data point towards growth in the proportion
of engineering employers that are doing this.
96%
of teachers would recommend a career in
engineering to their pupils
Synopsis 13
The state of engineering
What’s key
To maintain the economic
and social contributions of
engineering, we must address
the shortfall of engineers
Recommendations
The EngineeringUK report establishes unequivocally the
importance of engineering in terms of the contribution it makes
to the UK in terms of economic activity and exports, providing
large-scale employment, as well as societal impacts.
We also project that the current rate of supply of high-level skills
will not satisfy the expected demand over the next ten years.
In order that such a shortfall does not damage engineering’s
ability to contribute in these important ways in future, we identify
the following five areas:
1
2
3
4
5
Increasing
the supply
pipeline
(of engineers)
from education
Increasing
diversity
Increasing
the supply
of skills
through the
workforce
Maintaining
the international
dimension
Industrial
strategy
1. Encourage many more pupils to choose STEM subjects and
make well-informed choices that maintain the option of a
career in engineering and technology
2. Increase diversity in engineering and technology, through the
entire education system and into and throughout employment
3.Draw on the talent already in the workforce: increase the
skills, and improve the retention, of existing engineering
employees – and attract employees from other sectors
4.Enhance the vital international dimension in UK Higher
Education: world-class, welcoming and open for study –
and subsequent employment
5.Develop an industrial strategy that reinforces and sustains
engineering’s contributions to the UK, and that recognises
and helps to address the STEM skills gap
Engineering
For practical purposes, including for this report, we define engineering as a broad sector through a selection of industries and/or as a range of job
types through a selection of occupations. These are selected from the ONS Standard Occupational Classification 2010 (jobs) and the Standard
Industrial Classification 2007 (companies). Together these selections form EngineeringUK’s ‘Engineering footprint’ – the occupational and industrial
codes included are listed in the Annex to the report. While the selection is EngineeringUK’s own it has been done in consultation with the Engineering
Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering; it takes a relatively broad definition of engineering, particularly in terms of industries. At its core are
engineering jobs that are in engineering companies (“SIC X SOC”), but the footprint also includes engineering jobs that are in non-engineering
companies and non-engineering jobs that are in engineering companies.